Resigning from the HOA Board

Here are Kuester Management Group, we love encouraging homeowners to volunteer on their HOA Boards. We believe this is a meaningful way to build community, and we would never encourage anyone to thoughtlessly walk away from HOA service. With that said, situations arise—family issues or work responsibilities, perhaps—that can sometimes prohibit Board members from doing their duties, and in these cases Board members might deem it best to resign and have their seat filled by someone else.

The resignation process does not have to be convoluted, but it does need to be handled properly, so as not to leave homeowners or fellow Board members in the lurch. The first thing to do is submit a written notice of resignation. Your notice can be an e-mail or a formal letter, and it should always state the date your resignation is effective. You are certainly allowed to give your reasons for resigning, but don’t feel like you have to. No defense is necessary.

The next step is to distribute your notice. Remember that as a Board member you represent all owners in the Association, and as such they have a right to know that you’re stepping down. Make sure word gets out via e-mail, a bulletin board post, or something similar.

Finally, and if at all possible, try to devote even a little bit of time to training the Board member who will replace you, even if only for an interim. Your experience on the Board will prove an invaluable resource to whoever follows after you!

Your Board service is certainly a meaningful thing to the community—but if you cannot in good conscience continue with it, then resigning from the HOA Board might be what’s best for everyone. Just make sure you step down in a way that is responsible and honorable.